![]() (See 5:1 6:4 7:2 10:22 and 11:55.) His implied message in this placement is that Jesus' words and deeds are the fulfillment of the significance of the tradition attached to the particular festival in question. Throughout John's gospel, he places Jesus' symbolic actions against the backdrop of various Jewish festivals. Another difference between John and the synoptic is that John specifies that Jesus' actions take place against the backdrop of Passover.From then on, his opponents have one goal in mind: his annihilation (Mt 21:15 Mark 11:18 Luke 19:47). In Matthew, Mark and Luke, it happens just after Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. In John, this event happens close to the beginning of Jesus' ministry, where it serves as a catalyst that jump-starts the opposition to him.There are several differences between John's account of the cleansing of the Temple and the account in Matthew (21:12-13), Mark (11:15-17) and Luke (19:45-46): Jesus' "disruption of one of the most significant feasts of the year is a symbolic action that temporarily bring to a halt the sacrificial system understood to be ordained by God in the law" (Lincoln, 137). He is making a statement that their efforts are no longer necessary. In John's gospel, Jesus is not cleansing the Temple from commercial abuse by the money changers. The moneychangers were there to change pilgrims' money into the coinage the Temple could receive to purchase sacrifices and also for the payment of the half-shekel tax levied on all Jews. The animals were there because of the Torah's requirement of sacrifice. But the animals and the money changers had a right to be there. The common assumption about this Sunday's passage in John 2:13-22 is that Jesus was cleansing the temple of commercial abuse. Lent is a season that creates a yearning in us to clean our house and to clean our souls. The floor lamp that doesn't work because someone ripped the cord off it while moving it to clean the carpets. The extensive collection of mismatched coffee mugs that are overflowing the kitchen cabinet. The peach-colored prom dress from our daughter's high school days. The computer monitor and printer in the guestroom closet. The pair of black slacks that just never fit right. We accept clothes, shoes, books, CDs, DVDs, and small appliances." There are instructions to either call a number or put bags of items on the front step on a certain date. ![]() It's purple, or yellow, or green, and it's from a charitable organization that proclaims, "We need your discards. I don't know quite how to handle this personnel problem.Įvery week or so, a large postcard comes in the mail. I discovered her sweeping the carpeted stairs with a broom to make lines that looked like she'd vacuumed them. I caught her spraying lemon pledge in the air like air freshener to give the impression that she had just dusted. I caught her smearing coffee grounds around the tile with a mop the other day. ![]() I'll do it this weekend." Sometimes she neglects to sweep the kitchen floor before she mops it. She doesn't show up every day, and when she does, often she has an excuse-"I'm too tired. Speaking of cleaning, I am not at all pleased with the performance of the woman whose job it is to clean my house. It represented a return to a life in which God was once more center and source. The word Lent is derived from a Saxon word meaning "spring." In the early church, Lent was viewed as a spiritual spring, a time of light and joy in the renewal of the soul's life. It is the traditional season of prayer and fasting in preparation for the great "Feast of Feasts," Easter. Lent is the great spring-cleaning of the Christian life.
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